The greatest mysteries all have a shadowy figure at the center—someone who sets things in motion and holds the key to how the rest of the story unfolds.
In epidemiology, this central character is known as Patient Zero-the case at the heart of an outbreak.
This hour, Radiolab hunts for Patient Zeroes from all over the map—from the origins of a blues legend, to the history of the high five, to a race to halt the spread of a deadly disease.